APRIL CHORES

Spring has sprung. It's time to start working in the garden. Weed now to get a good start and make it easier on you later. Mulches will help you keep weed growth down and make weeds easier to pull. Weeding after a rain is also easier. Now is the time to plant warm season annual seeds directly into your flower bed or in containers. Follow the directions on the package. You will need to keep the seeded areas moist until germination. Thin them out when they are large enough to transplant. Plant any excess seedlings into other areas of your garden, if you wish. You can also purchase annuals for instant color. Additionally ,it's time to remove spent flowers, trim back excessive growth, and apply fertilizer in your established beds. Look at new soil you buy, before use, for contamination. Prune spring-flowering shrubs after flowering and fertilize roses. Insects to be on the lookout for include aphids and bagworms. Large numbers need to be controlled by pestides. However, if there are few of these pests, then you can use other methods. You can use a water hose to remove aphids and you can control bagworms by picking them off and burning them.